Veterinary obstetrical forceps.



C. GABEL.

VETERINARY OBSTETRICAL FORCEPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZB, 1915- Patented Dec. 12,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

C. GABEL.

VETERINARY OBSTETRICAL FORCEPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, I915.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- CHARLES GABEI OF HAWKEYE, IOWA.

VETERINARY OBSTETRICAL FORCEPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1913..

Application filed May 28, 1915. Serial No. 30,920.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES GA EL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hawkeye, in the county of, Fayette and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and usefulImpi-ovements in Veterinary Obstetrical Forceps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in surgery, and more specifically to veterinary obstetrical forceps. I

The object of my invention is to provide a veterinary obstetrical forcep, especially for use in connection with the delivery of pigs from the sow, which will embrace the head of the fetus and aid its passage through the pelvis in parturition. By the use of my device in connection with this delicate operation, danger of injuring either the pig or sow is eliminated, even though the fetus be located a considerable distance beyond the pelvic bone, and regardless of its position in the uterus.

My present invention is designed particu larly as an improvement upon the instrument shown in Patent No. 935,362, granted to me under date of September 28, 1909.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved gripping loop so mounted that its supporting and guiding parts may be interchanged in such manner as to provide for a larger or smaller loop as may be found desirable.

Other objects of this invention not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the detailed description and drawings forming, a part of this application.

Furthermore, this invention consists in the novel arrangements and combination of parts more particularly described in the following specification and embodied in the claims appended hereunto and forming a part of this application.

Referring now to the drawings, which are 'inerelyillustrative of my invention, Figure l is a side elevation of the instrument embodying the present invention, this view illustrating the manner of using the instrument and further representing -a single loop, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the loop end of the instrument shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3is a longitudinal sectional view through the instrument, parts being shown in elevation, and the view illustrating the double loop form thereof, Fig. 4 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating the double form of loop, Fig. 5 is a group perspective view of the-parts of the head of the instrument separated, Fig. 6 is a perspective View of a modified form of the instrument, Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view therethrough.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all of the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The instrument includes a tubular handle or grip 1 from which extends a tubular shank 2 having its end which is remote from the handle 1 expanded as indicated by the numeral 3. The head of the instrument comprises separably connected sections, which, when properly assembled are adapted to support and guide the wire or wires comprising the gripping loop or loops of the instrument. One of these sections is indicated by the numeral 4 and the other by the numeral 5, and each section is preferably formed-from sheet metal and includes shank portions 6 substantially semi cylindrical in cross-section, the said portions when the sections are assembled forming a cylindrical or tubular shank which is removably fitted into the expanded end 3 of the shank 2 in the manner clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings. The said shank of the head may be held tightly by friction within the expanded end of the shank 2 or if desired a securing screw or the like indicated by the numeral 7 may be employed for the. purpose of holding the shanks connected. The section 4: of the head is flared at its outer end as indicated at 8 and slightly curved in the direction of the concave side of the said section and the said section in that form of the instrument embodying a double loop is flared inwardly of its portion 8 as indicated by the numeral 9. The side portions of the section 4 are notched or cut away at the flared portions 8 and 9 as indicated respectively by the numerals 10 and 11 for a purpose to be presently explained. The section 5 is fiared'at itse'nd as indicated at 12 and inwardly of its end as indicated at 13 and these flared portions match withthe flared portions 8 and 9 in the manner'clearly shown in Fig. 4: of the drawings when the sections are assembled. As in the case of the section 4:, the

sides of the section 5 at the flared portions 12 and 13 are notched or cut away as indicated respectively by the numerals 14c and 15 and when the sections are assembled, the notches 10 will register with the notches 14: and the notches 11 will register with the notches 15. As a consequence, the head as a whole is provided at its end with oppositely located eyes formed by the matching notches and 14 and inwardly of its end with oppositely located eyes formed by the register- 10 ing notches 11 and 15 and it is through these eyes that the sides of the gripping loops pass slidably and are guided. In order that the sections comprising the head may be held in assembled relation, the sec- 15 tion 5 at its flared outer end 12 has a portion turned over upon itself to form a tongue 16 which is spaced from and opposes the concave side of the said flared end 12 and which is of such shape as to lie within the bounds of the sides of the section at its said end. The tongue 16 is provided with spaced openings 17 the Walls of which are threaded and the flared end 8 of the section 4 is provided with openings 18. WVhen the sections E have been properly assembled, the screws 'or other suitable fastening elements 19 are secured in the openings 17 and 18 in the manner shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

In that form of the instrument employing a double loop, the forward loop is indicated in general by the numeral 20 and this loop has its side portions slidably fitted through the eyes formed by the notches 10 and 1 1 and led into the tubular shank 2 of the in- I strument and connected at their ends to the forward end of a plunger 21 slidably arranged within the handle or grip 1 and provided with a finger ring or eye 22 by means of which it may be moved forwardly and retracted in the operation of the instrument. The other loop or, in other words, the rear loop is indicated by the numeral 23 and has its side portions led through the eyes formed by the notches 11 and 15 and into the tubular shank 2 and connected at their ends to the said forward end of the plunger 21. The bight of the loop 20 is engaged by a clip 24L which clip also pivotally engages one end of a link 25 and this link 59 at its other end is pivotally engaged by a clip 26 which clip also engages the bight of the loop 23. A wire link 27 closed at one end has its said end pivotally engaged by the clip 26 and the ends of the sides of this link are hooked into openings 28 formed in the flared end 3 of the shank 2.

It will now be understood that the bights of the loops 20 and 23 are at all times equidistantly spaced in the use of the instrument and that when the plunger is slid forwardly, the sides of the loops 20 and 23 will be correspondingly slid through their guiding eyes in the head of the instrument and the loops will be expanded. Inasmuch as the head is flared in the direction of the eyes, the loops 20 and 23 will be expanded laterally as well as in a forward direction.

It is contemplated that each instrument be provided with two or more of the heads which support and guide the loops and 7 these heads are interchangeable and are to be furnished in various sizes so as to provide for a larger or smaller loop or more specifically speaking, for greater or loss expansion and contraction of the loops, the several sizes of the heads having their eyes which guide the loops, spaced apart at different distances. In other words if the guide eyes of one head are spaced apart a considerable distance, the loops 20 and 23 will be expanded upon forward movement of the plunger 21 to a greater extent than would be the case in a similar size of head in which the eyes were located relatively close to each other. It will be understood, of course, that when it is desired to interchange the heads of the instrument, it is only necessary to shove forwardly upon the plunger 21 to the desired distance and then withdraw the shank of the head from the expanded forso ward end of the shank 2 after which the screws 19 may be removed and the sections of the head separated and disconnected from the sides of the loop, whereupon the sections of a head of a different size may be (1.5 assembled with the sides of the loops and after being secured together, the shank of the substituted head is inserted into the forward end of the shank 2.

In that form of the invention shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the instrument embodies but a single loop corresponding to the loop 20 and indicated by the numeral 20, the bight of this loop being connected by a clip 26 and a link 27 to the shank 2.

From the foregoing description of the invention, it will be seen that there is provided an instrument of the class described so constructed that it may be readily and quickly adjusted the required extent to which its loop or loops may be expanded or contracted and that inasmuch as the head of the instrument is formed in sections which may be separated, the sections may be conveniently and thoroughly cleaned thereby 11 rendering the instrument sanitary. It will also be observed particularly by reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings that inasmuch as the head of the instrument is curved longitudinally beyond its shank, it will conform 1 more or less closely to the contour of the head of the pig to be extracted and consequently there will be little likelihood of injury to the pig.

In that form of the invention shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, the head of the instrument comprises sections 29 and 30 which are similar to the sections -1- and 5 of the single loop form of the instrument previously described but, in this particular form shown in the said Figs. 6 and 7, the section 30 is provided interiorly with a boss 31 spaced from the side walls or flanges of the said section, the said boss being oval in shape and disposed with its major axis located at the longitudinal medial line of the said sec tion, the said section and also the section 29 being bulged laterally at and adjacent the point of location of the said boss. The wire comprising the loop in this form of the device is indicated at 32 and the strands are led within the section 30 at opposite sides of the boss 31 and between the side faces of the boss and the side flanges or walls of the said section, the strands being crossed as indicated at 33 directly in advance of the boss 31 and passed through eyes 34 formed between the sections at the laterally flared forward end of the head. A link 35 is connected pivotally to the front of the loop formed by the wire 32 and at its rear end is pivoted as at 36 to the upper side of the section 29. The boss 31 also serves as a seat for a. securing screw 37 which is passed through an opening in the section 29. While the instrument shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is of the single loop type, it will be readily understood that the sections 29 and 30 may be modified substantially in the manner illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings so that a double loop may be provided. It will be understood that by crossing the strands of the loop in front of the boss the loop will be permitted to expand ina natural manner and thereby lessen the likelihood of breakage of the Wire and also lessen the friction in the expansion and contraction of the loop.

The utility, adaptability, and advantages of my improved form of veterinary obstetrical forceps being obvious, it is unnecessary to further enlarge upon the same herein.

Having now described and pointed out the new and useful features of my invention, I do not limit myself to the shape of certain parts where the shape is not essential, nor do I restrict myself to the exact. details of construction shown and described, but mean and intend to claim all equivalents and variations thereof not departing in principle from my invention and falling within the purview of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an instrument of the class described, a shank, a head carried by the shank and comprising separably connected sections arranged when connected to provide a tubular shank removably fitted into the said first mentioned shank, one of the sections being flared at its end and provided with a concave side and with a portion facing its concave side, the other section having a portion engaging over the said portion of the first mentioned section, means for separably connecting the said portions of the sections, the sections at the flared end of the head being provided with oppositely located guiding portions, a loop connected to the first mentioned shank and having its sides cooperating with the guiding portions of the head and extending through the shank of the head and into the first mentioned shank, and means working in the first mentioned shank for advancing and retracting the sides of the loop.

2. In an instrument of the class described, a tubular shank, a head carried by the shank and provided at its end with oppositely located guiding portions and inwardly of its end with other oppositely located guiding portions, spaced loops having their bights connected to each other exteriorly of the shank, the sides of one of the loops cooperating with the first mentioned guiding portions of the head and the sides of the other loop cooperating with the last mentioned guiding portions of the head, the said sides of the loops extending within the shank, and means working in the shank and operable to advance and retract the said sides of the loops.

3. In an instrument of the class described, a tubular shank, a head comprising sections having concave opposing faces, the sections being separately connected in assembled relation, the said sections having portions forming a tubular shank when assembled, the shank being removably fitted into the end of the first mentioned shank, the said sections being provided beyond their shank portions with cooperating guiding portions located at opposite sides of the head in the assembled relation of the sections, a loop having its bight connected exteriorly of the first mentioned shank and having its side portions extending through the guiding portions of the head and through the shank of the head and into the first mentioned shank, and means working in the first mentioned shank to which said sides of the loop are connected, the said means being operable to expand and contract the loo I fi testimony whereof I afiix my signature hereto.

CHARLES GABEL.

WVitnesses:

W. N. Roenns, Miss M. R. STROUSE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

